genec728

My 1966 Mustang has been sitting in my garage for over 6 months without being started due to my illness. The battery was totally dead so I replaced it with a new one and also new battery cables.I know the battery is fully charged and the cables are connected properly but I getabsolutely nothing from the battery not even any lights. Everything is totally dead. Could my problem be a bad solenoid since all the electrical power for the car must go thru the starter solenoid switch?I don't know how or if you can test a solenoid switch and I don't want to buy a new one if I don't need it. Any suggestions fromanyone? I would appreciate it.

Stepman

This may sound dumb but, were there caps over the terminals that you may have left on? Seen it happen. Also, the power doesn't actually go thru the switch. Your wires for lights and stuff should be connected to the same terminal on the switch that the batt cable is connected to.

genec728

Thank's for your info. The caps on the terminals of course were removed and the wiring for lights, etc. is connected to the same terminal on the solenoid switch as the positive battery cable. The same as it has been forthe 35 years I have owned the car. I know the lights, etc. do not go thru the switch but was just wondering about the solenoid.Six months ago when I last drove the car everything was working perfectly. The only thing I did this week was to install a new battery with two new battery cables.
It's a mystery to me and I thank you for your suggestions.

Stepman

Do you have a test light...or a volt meter?

kalli

a very simple test for battery and grounding would be:
there should be a single cable going to the horn. the horn gets its ground from the chassis.
disconnect the cable going to the horn and then connect a cable (speaker cable or whatever you have lying around) from battery+ to the contact on the horn.
if the horn beeps, then the battery is ok as well as your connection from battery- to chassis.
So if that's ok then I'd say the next step is to check all fuses as well asthe connectors at the firewall.
Do you get the idiot light coming on (oilpressure) when you turn on ignition?

jlg2002

Smart way to tell Kalli! I've always just pulled the lights on (even to parking mode will tell you if there's any juice in the battery).
Genec, take another look at your battery ground and also make sure you put all of the wires with large lugsfor the starter relay on the battery side of the relay.

genec728

OK, guys, thanks for all the tips. Here is what I have done
so far without any success:

1. Brand new battery, fully charged and tested and two brand new battery cables properly connected exactly like the old ones.
2. Checked all the fuses in the fuse box under the dash and they all tested "good". I replaced all of them anyway and then retested and they were all good.
3.The positive battery cable isconnected to the battery side of the starter solenoid switch along with two other large wire lug connectors. The starter cable is connected to the starter side of the solenoid switch. Also thereare two push-on wire connectorswith one each of them pushed onto the two connecting points on thefront of the solenoid switch. These two points are labled "I" and "S".
4. My test lighttests positive onall the connectionsatthe battery side of the solenoid switch. There is no positive indication at all on the starter cable or where it is connected to the solenoid switch. There is no indication ofpower at all on the starter side of the solenoid switch.
5. Oh yes, Kalli, I tested the horn as you suggested with a piece of wire and the horn blew. As mentioned, I tested all the fuses and wire connectors as you suggested.
My caris a 1966 and has no idiot lights. I have all gauges.
6. My test light shows nothing positive on any wire after the solenoid switch. Everything is completely dead, electrically.

Any thoughts?? I would appreciate any of them.

jlg2002

There is a yellow wire that goes to the A terminal of the Vreg, check it for 12V. There is also 2 blk-yellow wireson the alt + terminal. The small one is the feed to the ignition switch and the large one is for the ammeter.Both go thru the alternator discoonect plug and the firewall disconnect plug. These should have 12 on them all the time. Get to the back of the IGN switch and see if there's 12 v on the yellow wire. If so, turn on the switch and see if it comes out to any of the fuses.. download the wiring diagram from the FAQ link if you don't have one. good luck.

genec728

jlg, thanks for the fast response. I checked the A terminal on the voltage regulator and got a positive reading. My alternator has one(1) black wire w/yellow stripe coming off the post with ared plastic cap over the post. There also is one solid white wire coming off the secondpost with a black plastic cap over the post. And then there are two wires, one is black and the other is red/black coming off a small threaded bolt on the alternator.
All 4 of these wires along with a ground wire connected to the chassis join together and go up to a connectorthat ties in with wires to the front of the car and wires that go to the firewall feed and a solid yellow along with a black/yellow that connects to the lug that is connected to the battery side of the solenoid switch.
I know all this sounds confusing and it is to me. A lot of the wires are corroded and hard to see the colors. The previous owner had refinished the engine bay with black paint without removing the wiring.
There is no power whatsoever on the firewall feed where all the wires come together. No wire under the dash that I could get to,tested positive.
I was unable to get my tester on the wire in back of the ignition switch.I'm just getting over a six months bout with a ruptured disc in my lower back and can't get under the dash.
Anyway, I really appreciate you taking the time to try to help. Also, I do have a copy of the wiring diagram.

genec728

Well, guys, I finally solved my electrical problem, It was a broken wire. The top wire on the Voltage Regulator, along with several other wires, runs along the inner fender and they all go into a plug on the firewalljust to the right of the master cylinder. I was checking every wire under the hood and happened to seethis top voltage regulator wire was broken into about 8 inches from the regulator and the break was hidden behind the windshield washer bag. It was an old break, before I bought the car, and had been repaired with a crimp connector and black tape over the connector. Somehow it came apart. I rejoined the two ends and reached inside the car an pulled the light switch andthe lights came on. That was a beautiful site after wrestling with this problem all week. Cranked her up and she runs great.
Thanks to all of you who offered me advice. I appreciate it.